I look forward to speaking at the 2008 Teaching & Learning Celebration in New York City. My presentation is scheduled at 2:15 P.M. on Friday, March 7th, followed by a book-signing at 3:30 P.M.

America needs more scientists and engineers, yet a staggering amount of intellectual capital is wasted because millions of students are turned off by traditional math programs and drop out of school. I created the fantasy sports math programs to give students opportunities to acquire a love for mathematics so they can pass algebra, graduate from high school, and attend college. It is a social justice issue, as millions of students are stuck in the poverty cycle and face seemingly insurmountable odds of acquiring an education. This is one topic that will be covered during my presentation.

I will also premier my documentary film that tells the story of fantasy sports in learning environments from the perspective of students, teachers, educators, and parents. The stories are compelling – from an all-girls class in Connecticut who play fantasy football to a high school special education teacher in Oregon who is teaching her students algebra via fantasy basketball.

Empirical data will be presented indicating that fantasy sports are making a significant impact on student motivation, student achievement, and student attitudes toward math and school. A recent survey co-sponsored by the University of Mississippi found that 75% of 144 teachers who were surveyed agreed that students understood mathematical concepts more than they did before they used fantasy sports. Seventy-nine percent of the teachers agreed that students liked learning math more than they did before they started using fantasy sports, and 81% of the teachers agreed that students came to math class with more enthusiasm than they did before they used fantasy sports (more results can be found at www.fantasysportsmath.com).

I will also explore the relationship between fantasy sports and adolescent cognitive and social development — in particular, how the games give students opportunities to hone their decision-making skills, how the games can ease the transition into algebra, and the social benefits, as students are engaging in conversations and making connections with their peers, their teachers, and their parents that probably would not have occurred without fantasy sports as a conduit.

Fantasy sports are empowering for girls, and the implications of girls becoming more knowledgeable and confident about sports will also be discussed. Teachers report that girls are engaging in more conversations with their fathers and brothers and spending more quality time with their families. Also, as girls learn about sports, they may be more willing to actually participate in them; given the obesity rate in the U.S., this possibility could have far-reaching implications. In addition, as girls learn about sports and follow the players on their fantasy teams, there is also more of a possibility that they will become sports fans and enjoy sports with their husbands and children in the future, which could play a role in family dynamics.

It’s clear that fantasy sports will impact the field of education in a variety of ways. The opportunity for research in this area is vast, and this topic will be covered as well.

I look forward to meeting you at The Teaching and Learning Celebration!